ABSTRACT

Studies have shown that learners’ motivation is a significant predictor of the level of engagement in a MOOC. However, the role of motivation in a MOOC’s completion remains questionable. In our study, we estimated the role of motivation in a MOOC’s completion, controlling for the characteristics of participants and their level of engagement with the course materials. The research database includes the survey and trace data on participants of nine MOOCs related to the economic field, launched on Coursera in 2014–2015. Two research models were created: the first model for all MOOCs’ participants; the second model for university-affiliated participants. The results of the logistic regression showed that learners’ motivation has a significant relationship with a MOOC’s completion. However, not all motives for participation in MOOCs are significantly related to the chances of earning a certificate of completion. Intrinsic motivation, a motive for getting skills that could be useful for changing the workplace, and a motive for earning a certificate significantly increase the chances of a MOOC’s completion. In turn, amotivation has a negative relationship with a MOOC’s completion.

摘要

研究表明，学习者的动机是 MOOC 参与程度的重要预测指标。然而，动机在 MOOC 完成中的作用仍然值得怀疑。在我们的研究中，我们估计了动机在 MOOC 完成中的作用，控制了参与者的特征及其对课程材料的参与程度。该研究数据库包括 2014-2015 年在 Coursera 上推出的与经济领域相关的九个 MOOC 参与者的调查和追踪数据。创建了两个研究模型：第一个模型适用于所有 MOOC 参与者；大学附属参与者的第二种模式。逻辑回归的结果表明，学习者的动机与MOOC的完成有显着的关系。然而，并非所有参与 MOOC 的动机都与获得结业证书的机会显着相关。内在动机、获得可能对改变工作场所有用的技能的动机以及获得证书的动机显着增加了完成 MOOC 的机会。反过来，动机与 MOOC 的完成度有负相关。